Vaccine Therapy With or Without Interleukin-2 in Treating Patients With Metastatic Melanoma

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RATIONALE: Vaccines made from white blood cells treated with antigens may make the body build an immune response to kill melanoma cells. Interleukin-2 may stimulate a person's white blood cells to kill tumor cells. Combining vaccine therapy with interleukin-2 may kill more melanoma cells.

PURPOSE: This phase I/II trial is studying the side effects and how well giving vaccine therapy and interleukin-2 works compared to vaccine therapy alone in treating patients with metastatic melanoma that has not responded to previous therapy.

Evaluate the toxicity, immunologic reactivity, and possible therapeutic efficacy of immunization with dendritic cells presenting the MART-1 and gp100 melanoma antigens with or without interleukin-2 in patients with metastatic melanoma.

OUTLINE: This is a dose-escalation study of dendritic cells pulsed with MART-1 and gp100 antigens.

Patients receive vaccinations with dendritic cells pulsed with MART-1 and gp100 antigens, either intralymphatically every 4 weeks for 2 doses, or IV every 3 weeks for 4 doses. Some patients also receive interleukin-2 subcutaneously or IV, over 3-5 days, beginning 24 hours after immunization.

Cohorts of 2-9 patients receive escalating doses of pulsed dendritic cells IV until the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) is determined. The MTD is defined as the dose preceding that at which 2 of 6 patients experience dose-limiting toxicity. Subsequent cohorts receive cells with or without interleukin-2. One cohort may expand to 15 patients to determine the accuracy of immunologic response to the vaccine.

One cohort of 11 patients receives cells intralymphatically without interleukin-2 every 3-4 weeks for 2 courses. Patients with stable disease or who achieve minor, mixed, or partial response may be retreated.

Patients with stable or responding disease undergo a second course of vaccination. Patients who completed treatment with vaccine alone and have stable disease, progressive disease, disease progression after a response, or a partial response with no further improvement may receive 2 additional courses.

PROJECTED ACCRUAL: A total of 10-42 patients will be accrued for this study.

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